Cushion unit for furniture



zFeb. 1, 1944.

H. MoRRxsoN ET AL CUSHION UNIT FOR FURNITURE 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -Filed Sept v we v l fof/ isom, 0ll787 IIIIIIO Feb. l, 1944. l H, MoRR|soN g1- AL 2,340,551

CUSHION UNIT FOR FURNIVTURE 'Filed sept. 25. 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 fiume/wrom II-J'Iorfson, 4/ f/z .17T WI/Owe,

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Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNlTED VSIUFTES CUSHION UNIT FOR FURNITURE iiarold Morrison, Chattanooga. and Fritz W. Lowe, East Chattanooga, Tenn., assignors to ll/.iilne VChair Company, Chattanooga, .Tenn.,..a

corporation of Tennessee 'application September 25, 1942,-SerialNo. 459,694

3 Claims. (C1. 155-179) 'This invention relates to furnitureconstruction and more vparticularly to an improved'form of cushioning means for the seats and lbacks of upholstered chairs, settees, and the like.

Heretofore, it has been customary to provide cushioning units comprising v`a series of spring coilsor the like, so arranged and connected as to form a yielding load sustaining vsupport to resist the AWeight and body movements of the occupant of the seat in a comfortable Vand restful manner. However, owing to the present lack of spring steel for purposes of this sort, it becomes necessary to vutilize other` materials of a nonmetallic nature to obtain the desired results. While it is, of course, possible to provide the upholstered seats and backs of articles of furniture with cushions which are stuffed with 'i'ibrous'materials, Well known in the industry, nevertheless, such lsoft materials usually become ypacked or compressed in a relatively short time, so as to afford little or no resiliency in supporting the intended load, and, moreover, `soon become unsightly because of the hills and valleys inevitably resulting from irregular packing or compressing` the material at different points.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a non-metallic cushioning unit, preferably of wood, Whichcan be fabricated in various shapes, dimensions, and sizes to constitute a yielding filler or core 'for the seat and back cushions of the chair. `ln that connection, the invention contemplates a unlthavin-g structural features and characteristics lending themselves to the provision of a basic unit or form Yof device which may be conveniently used'infmultiple Where greater lead sustaining orpressure resisting capacity is desired.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a simple, practical and reliable 'form Aof cushioning unit which may be readily fashioned vby urniture craftsmen to suit the needs of the particular installation, and wherein the `primary resiliencyzof the unit is afforded by spaced leaves or-Wings,'each consisting of-a plurality of springy Woodjstrips properly anchoredat one-end and arranged .toproduce .the desired yielding effect.

With'the above and other objects in view, which Fig. 1 isi-a vertical cross-sectional View of the seat and back of-anupholstered chair-or the like, embodying the Vpresent improvements. K

Fig. 2 is a detail vfragmentaryperspective view illustrating a preferred'method of attaching the springy woodlstrips to the support and also showing raportion of the basic Y-or primary unit of construction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the multiple cushion unit used in theseat of the chair.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating an-alternative method of attaching the spring-y Wood strips to the support.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of va modified Yform sof seat `unit on the order of Fig.- 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section'taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 isa front elevation of the unit lshown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '8 is a detail cross sectionalview taken von Similar reference characters designate correspondingparts `throughout the. several figures of the drawings.

Fig.` 1 of the drawings illustrates a typical ,application'of .the invention to an article of .iurniture vvhichmay be in the form of a .chainsettee, or the like and includes Vthe resilient .or springy cushioning units within upholstered coverings or casings Whichform the usual seat and back cushions. As shown, the article of furniture designated generally as A, comprises .a seat frame B and aback frame `C respectively supporting the seat D, and the back cushion E.

In vitsfprimary or basicform, Fig. 2, the cushioning unit of the present invention is designatedggenerally as iF and in this form may be conveniently utilized as vtheinterior resilientelement furthe upholstered back cushion E. When the unit'F is used inmultiple, as for example in Athe seat cushion "D of the article of furniture,

the'same may comprisethe units F and F arranged `vertically in reversedrelation, for example, as'shownmore indeta'il` inFig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the structural features .and characteristics of the cushioningv unit F and itsmultiple counterpart, it `will be observed that the same preferably includes an elongated support I which maybe in the form of abar or rail 0f Wood of suitable cross section and formed With the yopposite faces 2 and 3 thereof nbeveled o r inclined iny opposite directions. Thus, the 'short dimension ofthe cross sectionis disposed atthe rear ofithe support, and in effect,

the sai-d'facesiZ and `3 diverge toward the front of the support thereby readily to provide for the proper angular relation of the normally straight spring strips 4 when assembled thereto.

'Ihe said strips 4 are preferably made of springy wood having the ends 4a thereof attached or secured in an appropriate manner in or to the faces 2 and 3 of the support, while the opposite ends 4b thereof are spaced relatively far apart so that when pressure is applied thereto, they wili yield or ex throughout their length and thereby become compressed under static or shifting load to provide a yielding support which will return to its normal position when relieved of load or pressure.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ends 4a of the spring strips are secured to the opposite faces 2 and 3 of the support in parallel relation and arelappropriately spaced longitudinally thereof. When so arranged and secured, the opposite groups provide, inv effect, divergently related spring wingsl or leaves. Thus, in basic form, the strips, together with the support I, provide a cushion of substantially V-shape when viewed incross'section or in end elevation. As shown in Fig. 2, the support I is provided at spaced intervals in the faces 2 and 3 with the dovetail slots or grooves 5, thereby conveniently to receive the oppositely beveled edges of the strips4 and anchor them in place. It will, of course, be understood that the groove 5 may be lled with glue or other adhesive, and if desired, other fastening means, such as a nail, may be used. Under ordinary circumstances, however, the ends 4a ofthe strips 4 are simply slid into the dovetail Inortise or groove and secured by an adhesive.

Fig. 4 of the invention illustrates an alternative manner of connecting the ends of the strips 4 to the support I. In this arrangement, the faces 2 and 3 of the support have the related ends of the strips securedrthereto by a nail :r or equivalent fastening and an. adhesive.

The primary form of the invention above dcscribed, that is, the form including the `support I and the strips or slats 4 arranged to provide a vpair of wings or leaves, may conveniently be embodied in the back cushion E. Where greater resiliency is desired `as well as additional load sustaining capacity, the multiple cushioning unit shown in Fig.r 3 may be used, for example, in the seat D.

According to Fig. 3, vitl will be observed that the cushioning unit F including the support I, having the strips 4-4 securedfthereto in diverging relation to provide the wingsor leaves previously referred to, is preferably extended at the end not only to provide an adequate ground for the slots or mortises 5 but also; to assist in supporting the unit in the chair frame. The forward ends 4b of the strips` 4 constituting the lowerhorizontal wing of the unit F are preferably con-` nected by a slat I which assists in supporting the unit on the seat frame of the article of furniture, and, like thev support I, lowermost in Fig. 1, forms a base to which the covering may be tacked. The free ends 4b of the upwardly inclined strips 4 `of the upper wing of the unit F in Fig. 3 arel anchored or secured to a second `support Iawhich may be a duplicate of the support` I except that it is reversed in position. This second support hasv additional strips 4 secured' thereto which extend horizontally toward the rear of the unit,

and which together with the inclined strips of thel upper wing of the unit Fconstitute the unit,

F', thereby to provide a multiple cushioning unit which in cross section or end elevation is substantially of Z-shaped formation. It will, of course, be understood that the upper series of strips 4 constituting the top horizontal wing of the cushion unit F' may be provided with a pad or covering 8 which in turn supports fibrous upholstering material al1 of which is covered by casing whose free ends are tacked or secured respectively to the lower support I and the slot 1 as shown by the fastenings .r in Fig. 1.

With each strip free at one end it is possible for them to be individually responsive to applied pressure and deformable according to the degree of pressure exerted at or in the zone of one or more of them, and, in this way, the full cushioning effect of the unit is preserved since the several strips will more readily conform to the more or less irregular outline of body contour or proleor the shifting of body weight.

In the foregoing connection these advantages may be carried out in making the multiple unit of Fig. 3 variably responsive to load or pressure at the front end, by sectionalizing the upper front support I b as shown in Fig. 5. Referring tothis figure, it will be observed that the said support is divided into the sections 9, I Il, I I each of which have a plurality of strips secured thereto. These sections may be of equal or unequal length and may have the ends of two or more strips secured thereto. The purpose and advantage of this division is that when the seat is beingused, that is under compression, there is more weight in the center than on the sides and by making the front rail of the seat Vin three sections, itallows the center section to compress further than the two side sections and, of course, makes amore comfortable seat. "11.:

Figs. 5-8, inclusive, also illustrate'another desirable and important feature namely the wedge blocks I2 arranged and secured between the spring strips at a sufficient distance from their anchored ends to soften and distribute stress when the strips are compressed. These vblocks are preferably of elongated form with opposite sides inclined to match the relative inclinations of the strips and their inner ends are drawn to a rounded or blunt point whose arcuatesides I3 provide a rolling fulcrum surface for the strips when flexed under load. Although the form ofcushioning units shown in Figs. 1*-4 may be satisfactory without the wedge blocks, nevertheless, their presence adds the advantages heretofore pointed out. .f

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a cushioning unit wherein all the parts are preferably formed from wood and which lends itself particularly to wood fabricating methods and which may be embodied in various lengths, widths and depths according.

to the specifications of the upholstered of the article of furniture.

We claiin:

l. A cushioning unit for the seats and backs of chairs andthe like, comprising, an elongated support, opposite sets of spring wood strips pr0'` jecting from `opposite faces of said support in diverging relation, and a second elongated's'upport engaging the free ends of said spring strips of one -of said sets and in turn having a third set of spring wood strips projecting therefrom in overlying spaced relation to the subjacent set` carried by said rst mentioned support, and saidv second support being divided into sections termi-A nating between a pair of adjacent strips.

V2. A cushioning unit for furniture, comprising;Y

sets of spring strips secured to opposite sides thereof, one set of said strips being secured to both supports, and one of said supports being divided into sections to render portions of said last mentioned set of strips yieldable independently of other portions, and an individual load and stress distributing member permanently secured between each related pair of strips.

HAROLD MORRISON. FRITZ W. LOWE. A 

